Cigarette and match dispenser



May 5, 1931. G. NENNA 1,803,536

CIGARETTE AND MATCH DISPENSER Filed Jan. 27, 1930.

Gennara Name,

patented May 5, 1931 UNITED. STATES. PAT Nr- F E GENNARO mmm, or owE w' souifn, on'mmo, 'cANAnA, nssrcuon TO on'ms'ros GEOBGAS, orowE-n scum), ou'ramo, CANADA Gleaming-Ann MATCH DISPENSER 7 Application filed. January 27, 1930. serial No. 42a77 5,

invention relates to improvements in clgarette and match dispensers.

More particularly it isanobject ofthe vention to provide a'dispenser of this char- 5 acter with a simplified form of operating mechanism which will eflicientlyoperate and yet entail a minimum of, efl'ortin construc tion. i i

A further object of. the invention is to provide a dispenser which maybe manu; factured very cheaply and placed on the marketatalow figure. s

' invention consists essentially of a dispensing cabinet or the like provided with compartments to retain cigarettes and matches together with an ejecting-member in connection witheach compartment and a simplified type of operating means includingthree essential parts, comprising a main operating lever an actuating member for the operating lever and spring retaining means as more fully referred to in the present specification and illustrated in the accompanying draw ings which form part of the same. "Inthe drawings: U a Figure 1 is a perspectiveview 'of-the dis penser w" 7 Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevationnof the. dispenser.

Figure 3 is a section onthe FigureZ, I I j H r Figure 4: is a perspectiveview ofth eim proved operating unit,1and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailjof an alternative. arrangement of the parts ofjthe op eratinguniti V j a V 1 v Referring more particularly to the drawings A indicates the dispensing; eontainer which is formed into twoma'incompartm'ents 10 and 11 separated by the partition IQQFI-The upper surfacefof the dispenseris slotted as of cigarettes andfmatches'.

at 13 and 14; corresponding with the compartments 10 and 11 to permit of theejection The base of each of the compartments1o andll is formed by means of opposed sloped blocks 15 and 16 or the like'whichpro vide 1 an inclined interior surface for the base of these compartments sloping f ron zeach side Withthese and other objects towardsthecentre, Atthecentreof thecom is partment's'openings 17 and 417* are provided which register with the slots ,13 and l i in the top 'ofeach compartment". Q'Through the openings: 17 and '17? and likewise through the slots 13 and 14 the cigaretteaiid match receiving; and ejecting members-18' and19 are adapted to project, I i i Thememberjldis formed of such size as to readily accommodate a cigarette; while on the other hand the receiving member 19Qis' formed of such size, as to readily 'accQm modatea single match and the upper surface of these members is concaved to; retain the cigarette and match deposited thereon. I

.A connecting member 20 isrigidly secured to the base of the ejecting member 19 and projects across the base of the compartments toenter in a slot 21form'edinthe lower ex tremity of the receiving member 19 so'that on extension of thereceiving memberlS the receiving member 19 W-ill be correspondingly actuated. T

f In the side 7 of the containers registering with the slotsf17 and 13 and 17?,and 14 are grooves 22 and 23 which are adapted to receive a projecting tongue formed on each sidexof the ejecting members 18 and 19 and thereby provide complete g'uideways for these members so that they willalways oper atefin onep'athf V j V I a e Coming1now toa very salient feature of my invention which concerns the operating mechanism,'it will be noted thatlon' the base ofthe connecting" member 20 I secure a bracketfl i which is provided with af'sl'otted' so I upwardlyiturned while at the side alportion of thebracket is inwardly rolled asat 28 to form a channelo'rsleeve for retaining the actuating lever.. J

" At the QP' theib k t Medan-1 9 wardly turned to provide an anchoring point for a spring. The actuating member comprises a vertically extending rod 29 formed with a cap 30 in the form of abutton which protrudes through the top of the cabinet. The lower portion of the operatingmember is bent outwardly at 31 substantially at right angles to the main part of the actuating member and is then bent laterally at right angles to the portion 31 as at 32 to provide an impelling member for the main operating lever.

This impelling portion 32 is adapted to directly bear on the lugs 27 which then form a guide for this portion of the actuating member, and provide for even movement thereof, thus avoiding any tendency to bind or jam. The main operating lever indicated at 33 is pivotally connected as at 34:to theside of one of the lugs 27 Adjacent the pivotal point it is rovided with an inclined slot 35 through which the impelling portion- 32 of the actuating member extends, so that on downward movement of the actuating memher the impelling portion thereof 32 will bear against the inclined slot, thereby depressing the operating lever downwardly. The free end of the operating lever 33 is curved and ointed as at 36 and in normal position is designed to substantially contact with the bracket 20, the point'36 being just above the base of the slot in the lug 25 so that on downward'movement of the'operating lever the point 36 thereof will protrude through the slot in the lug 25 and in its downward movement correspondingly actuate this lug and attached parts. To complete the operating mechanism the spring 37 or the'like is connected to the impelling portion 32 of the actuating member and to the lug formed onthe bracket23 so that the operating lever and actuating member will always return to normal position after depression. V a

In operation the compartments 10 and 11 are filled respectively with cigarettes and matches on each side of the receiving ejecting members 18'and 19, normally dividing the compartments and protruding through the respective slots "formed in the walls thereof.

To simultaneously obtain a'cigarette and match, it is only necessary to depress the cap 30 of the actuating member 29 so that on downward movement the impellingipoition's 32 ofsaid actuating member bears against one side of the inclined slot 35, thereby depressing the mainoperatinglever 33. The point 36 of the operating lever thereby enters intothe slot in the lug 25, contacts with the, lower side thereof and corres ondingly moves this lug so that the attached parts, including the connecting member 20 and themembers '18 and 19 move downwardly, the latter moving in the guideways or grooves 23.

The ends of the members 18 and 19 moving below the surface of the cigarettes and matches, automatically receive a cigarette and match on the concave receiving portion thereof, in view of the fact that the base of the compartments 10 and 11 are sloped. On releasing pressure applied to the cap 30 of the actuating member 29 through the medium of the spring 37 the main operating lever resumes its original position and the curved portion of the main operating lever acting like a cam contacts with the base of the bracket 24 automatically impelling the connecting member and attached members 18 and 19 to normal position, thereby delivering a cigarette and a match to the top of the cabinet through the slots 13 and 14 formed therein.

To providefor a more even movement of the impelling portion of the actuator relas tive to its bracket, instead of providing lugs, as shown in Figure i, the lug farthest from the operating lever may be formed slightly longer than its corresponding lug and pro vided With a slot 38 tobe traversed by the free ends of the impelling portion 32 of the actuator. a Rollers-39 and 40 may also be provided for the impelling member 32 to engage the sides of the slot 38 and the slot 35 respectively. This will provide a more efficient guide for the impelling portion of the actuator and will permit of more even movement.

It will be understood, of course, that the operating unit as disclosed would be quite applicable to other forms of dispensers such as for instance toothpicks and the like.

From the foregoing it will be seen "that I have particularly devised a very simple type of operating mechanism for a dispensing cabinet of the character referred to which maybe positioned in the cabinet in a unit and thereby facilitates the manufacture of a device'of this character.

Various modifications may be madein this invention Without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the claims, and therefore'the exact forms shown are to be taken as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense, and it is desired that only such limitations shall be placed thereon'as are disclosed in the prior art or are 'set forth in the accompanying claims.

What 'I claim as my invention is a 1 In a cigarette and match dispenser including a cabinet having cigarette and match compartments formed with opposed sloping bases traversed by simultaneously movable cigarette and match ejecting members, an operating unit comprising a metal bracket formed with upturned lugs, and a sleeve, an actuating member slidablypcarried by the sleeve adapted to protrude through the top of the cabinet, a main operating lever pivotally carried on one of said lugs, saidoperating lever being formed with a curved .1

tapered end and with an inclined slot positioned adjacent the pivotal mounting of the lever, a laterally bent impelling portion formed on the actuator adapted to protrude.

through the slot in said'lever and contact with said lugs, spring tension means between 1 said plate and the lever, and a bracket in connection with the cigarette and 'match ejecting members engageableby said curved end of the lever during operation.

2. In a cigarette and match dispenser provided with means for receiving and ejecting contained cigarettes and matches, an oper: ating unit comprising a plate adapted to be secured within the dispenser and formed with upturned lugs and a sleeve, an actuator slidably carried within the sleeve, a main operating lever pivotally mounted; on one of said lugs formed with a curved and tapered end and with an inclined slot adjacent the pivotal mountingthereof, a forwardly and laterally bent impelling member formed on one end of said actuator adapted to traverse the slot in the operating lever, means in connection with the lugs for guiding the impelling member, a coil spring between the plate and the impelling member, a cap for the free end of the actuator adapted to protrude through the top of the dispenser, and

a bracket in connection with the ejecting means of the dispenser engageable by the V tapered end of the operating lever-"during operation. I

3. In a cabinet for dispensing articles, an operating unit comprising a plate adapted to be secured within the cabinet, stamped 'from sheet metal and formed with upturned lugs and a sleeve, an actuator slidably carried within the sleeve provided at one end with a depressible cap protruding through the cabinet and at the other end with a bent impelling member, a main operating lever pivotally mounted on one of said lugs and formed at its free end with a rounded tapered edge, and with aninclined slot adjacent the pivotal'mounting thereof adapted to be traversed by said impelling member, means in connection with the lugs for guidingthe impelling member, and a coil spring positioned between the plate and the impelling member.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set In hand.

y GENNARO NENNA. 

